


Broken

by katarina_230



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bullying, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 13:04:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1429600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katarina_230/pseuds/katarina_230
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You are no coward. What he did to Myrcella was horrible, and it was not your fault. And she is now fine, the doctors were able to save her leg. Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault."</p><p>The same words everyone else said, but, somehow, from Shireen's lips sounded different. And Aegon could not help but hope she was right. How it was she the one that consoled him, when she was insulted and humiliated only half an hour ago? The boy kissed her hand and then he hugged her again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Rated for descriptions of bulling, strong emotions and unfair situations.  
> Reviews are always welcome! :)

"I'm so sorry", Aegon started, looking at the girl in front of him."Seriously, I should have done something to stop him."

Her eyes were a deep blue, and it was not the first time when Aegon felt like he was a coward. _I should have stopped him_ , the thought for a thousand time. How could he dare to look into that eyes and feel like he wasn't guilty for the tears that were seen in the corners? _I'm a coward_. The boy wondered what would his sister say about him, if she saw what happened. _Rhaenys would have helped her._ Or, at least, that was his conclusion.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for."

He leaned closer to her, pulling the girl in a hug. Her heart started to beat faster, making him wonder if he was the first guy who allowed such an act with her. And perhaps he was, having in mind the general attitude towards her. _She is such a good girl_ , he wanted to scream at every person who laughed at her. But the words seemed to stop in his mouth and an imagine who haunted him for several years came back into his mind.

It had happened when they were kids - he and another girl with a beautiful smile playing in the snow. A soft, childish kiss on his cheek, the smell of winter in the air, little snowflakes falling around them ... and Myrcella Baratheon falling on the mountain, rolling till she hit a three, Joffrey laughing. That monster appeared from behind a three and pushed his own sister, only because she had a friend and he didn't. Renly hearing the boys fighting, the look in his eyes when he saw Myrcella and the red snow around her, her screams ... and what came after. Joffrey declaring he was innocent, Aegon getting punished, Aegon's father screaming at Joffrey's. And what was worse of all, the waiting. He not being allowed in the hospital, where he should have been - the relief he felt when Lyanna Stark told him the injury was not as serious as they tough, and that the little girl's leg would be fine in some months. But of course Joffrey escaped unpunished, and Aegon was accused for what happened. They didn't even believed Myrcella when she told them. When she was finally able to walk, she moved with her uncle Jaime and his wife, Brienne, in Casterly Rock, telling that she found a school that suited her needs. But Aegon knew the truth - the girl wanted to be away from Joffrey.

Aegon could not stop but think about what Joffrey would do to her if he found out how close they were. And still, he hated himself, feeling like it was all his fault.

"I do Shireen", he heard himself saying."I ... I am ashamed of myself."

The boy looked at the ground. One of his hands was resting on her shoulders and the other one on her knees and he could feel how his cheeks were getting red. _I am a coward_ , he tough again.

"You don't have to."

She touched his blue hair shy and smiled at him. Aegon wondered how could she still do that, smiling while her eyes were full of tears. But she must be used to it, or at least that was what Aegon tough. It was always a sadness on her face, build over those years when she was bullied by Joffrey and his friends. Or at least that was what he wanted to think - but he knew better than to lie like this. It wasn't just that. That sadness was build over a mountain of things. Her parents divorce was a hard hit for her, her father marring a foreign woman whom she didn't meet until the wedding. The girl was being forced to attend and pretend to be happy. Her mother constantly complaining about everything, her uncle - Renly -, breaking the contact with his family after a fight with Stannis ... and the looks she was getting when she walked without a scarf or a hood.

"I do. I should have stopped him."

"How Aegon, how? You couldn't. It wasn't only him. All of them were ... and anyway, you arrived when it was already done. You can not stop something you weren't even aware it happened."

The boy touched her left cheek and felt the hardness.

"I hate it when they laugh at your scars. Remember, you are a survivor. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Oh, sweet boy", she told him. There was a little blush in her right cheek and the tears were gone, and that was enough to make him felt just a little bit better."It wasn't for this. I was because I dared to contradict Joffrey."

At that Aegon's eyes widened with surprise. No one did that - well, excepting the teachers. Not because of the fear of Joffrey itself, but because only a word from him was enough to make one of his brutes to hurt you. Or to make Cersei Lannister- who happened to pay for a lot of things at school- write a complain against you. And everyone knew where those went - to the headmaster, Petyr Baelish, who owned so much to the Lannisters ... all of those made Aegon feel sick sometimes, but it wasn't like he could have made something to change them.

"How?", was all he could say.

"Well ... remember that Advance Physics course I'm taking? You know, the one taught by Mr. Brynden Tully. Joffrey got in here, but I don't want to know why, because he knows nothing about what we are talking there. Anyway, he started to complain about his mark on the test - what would he expect, if he didn't write anything? Mr. Tully called Joffrey at the board and gave him a really simple problem. Of course he didn't solve it. And when we were about to leave I heard him insulting the teacher and I just ... I just told him that it's not Mr. Tully's problem that he can not solve the problems on the test, especially because everyone else got a high mark."

She pulled the test from her backpack and Aegon smiled when he saw the beautiful 100 % written in a corner, along with the word "Congratulations!".

"My smart friend", he said and hugged her again. This time he was more bold and lightly touched her nose with his lips, the reddened when she done the same.

"After that he and one of his friends, who was waiting in the hallway, pushed me on the floor and started to call me names. It hurts, you know, to be in the middle of a group of people and to see the way they don't do anything when Joffrey does something like this. I truly pity Sansa, that poor girl. Have you ever saw what's on her hands? Then the janitor, Sandor, came and made them all leave."

"You were very brave to do this."

 _Unlike me_ , he boy tough. Every time he tried to do something about the other boy, Myrcella's image came into his mind. And Joffrey's laugh. Rhaenys always told him he needed to stop blaming himself, because it was no way he could have known that Joffrey was behind that three. And Jon ... well, both Jon and his mother, Lyanna, were sure he should " _see himself_ ", as they would describe him - a beautiful, nice, smart teenager, who can't be afraid of Joffrey forever. And his father ... well, he wanted wasn't a man on many words. He only told Aegon that, whatever happened, he must never forget that he was a dragon and he should not be afraid of a lion.

Well, being a dragon was enough for Rhaegar, who didn't even care to listen to what everyone else said when his mistress moved in with him and his wife, or when she gave him a son. When Aegon was old enough to understand what his father had done, he asked his mother what did she tough about this. She only told him he should visit Dorne once to understand.

But Aegon tough Rhaenys was more a dragon like him - whatever, the symbol who was put on every Targaryen product was not going to help him in his problem.

Still, he held her hand in his. And he could only hope that someday he will have the courage to tell those bullies to stop, that he will be able to sleep without Myrcella's image clear into his mind, without feeling like a coward.

Like she read his toughs, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek and said words that made Aegon feel better.

"You are no coward. What he did to Myrcella was horrible, and it was not your fault. And she is now fine, the doctors were able to save her leg. Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault."

The same words everyone else said, but, somehow, from Shireen's lips sounded different. And Aegon could not help but hope she was right. How it was she the one that consoled him, when she was insulted and humiliated only half an hour ago? The boy kissed her hand and then he hugged her again.

 

 


End file.
